Sectional container



June 8, 1937. BLECHMAN SECTIONAL CONTAINER Filed July 14, 1936 INVENTOR. l/YG- 51. ECHM/M/ Mrw ATTORNEY 3 Patented June 8, 1937 UNITED STATES SECTIONAL CONTAINER Irving Blechman, Bronx, N. Y., assignor to Odora Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 14, 1936, Serial No. 90,546

1 Claim.

; 10 connected by a complementary coupling unit interfitting with the confronting edges of adjacent compartment-forming units so as to complete the compartments, secure the units together, and retain the assemblage in set-up condition.

I The invention more particularly provides a sectional container composed of a plurality of com partment-fdrming units each of which includes a main body portion forming the side walls thereof hingedly connected together and an end wall in- 20 terfitting with one end of the main body portion and a complementary coupling unit connecting the compartment-forming sections, and interfitting with theconfronting edges of the adjacent compartment-forming units so as to complete the 25 compartments, secure the sections together, and

retain the container assemblage in set-up condition.

The invention further comprehends in a sectional container of the character described, an 30 intermediate coupling unit providing a common wall located between the units and having a peripheral flange surrounding said common wall and adapted to telescopically receive the open ends of the compartment-forming units so as to 35 complete the compartments and connect and retain in assembled relation the units which define said compartments.

The invention further provides a multiple sectional container composed of a plurality of inter- 40 fitting sections or units which may be readily assembled in set-up condition and disassembled, collapsed and compactly nested, and in which said sections or units are constructed of light weight, inexpensive material so that the container may be 45 easily handled and sold at reasonable price.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, reference is now made to the following specification and accompanying drawing in which there is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the modifications thereof which fall within the scope of the invention. v

In the drawing: 55 Fig. l is a collective perspective view of a sec invention, while the claim covers variations and tional container illustrating the units thereof in separated juxtaposition.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view therethrough taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and illustrating the units 5 in assembled relation.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating av modified form of coupling unit. I

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed perspective view of a coupling element used in connection with the form shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference A and B designate generally a pair of compartment-forming units each including an ,end wall l0, side walls ll, l2 and I3 and a closure I4 which leaves one end of each of said units open.

A complementary coupling unit designated generally by the reference character C is adapted to connect the compartment-forming units A and B so as to complete the compartments, secure the units together and retain the assemblage in setup condition, and said coupling unit includes a common-wall iiwhich is located between the units when assembled and embodies a peripheral flange it which medially surrounds the common wall i5 and is adapted to telescopically receive the open ends of the compartment-forming units A and B.

As illustrated, the common wall I5 is provided with integral marginal fianges l1 by means of which the peripheral flange i8 is anchored thereto in any desired manner.

As shown in the present disclosure, the lower 'unit A may constitute a closet for the storage of clothing which is disposed in an upright position and of sufiicient height to hang garments therein, while the upper unit B is of a-lesser height and may serve as a storage compartment for hats or other small articles. The closures ll of the units A and B are preferably in the nature of swinging doors having retaining flaps l8 and interengaging 40 fastening means i9 and 20 for retaining the closures or doors in closed relation.

It is, of course, to be'understood that within the scope of the invention, the units A and B may have the rear walls I! disposed downwardly so that the assemblage constitutes a chest and it is also apparent that any number of compartmentforming units in excess of two may be assembled together to build up a multiple sectional container composed of interfltting units or sections capable of being readily assembled in their set-up condition and disassembled, collapsed and compactly nested for storage or shipment.

In the embodiment illustrated, the compartmerit-forming units A and B are preferably formed of a sheet of light-weight, inexpensive material such as corrugated cardboard, paperboard, fiber board or the like wherein the side walls ll, l2 and I3 and the closure I are connected by fold lines parallel to each other while the end walls are formed with marginal flanges 2| to telescopically engage over the ends of the units with suitable fastening means 22 extending through the flanges and the end portions of the side walls to detachably connect the same together. The side of the flanges 2| of the end walls It) and the peripheral flange ii of the common wall l5 which is located adjacent the closures H are formed with closure abutment strips 24 to limit the inward movement of the closures and to provide surfaces which are adapted to contact with each other to seal the compartments. The compartment-forming units are removably retained in assembled relation with the coupling unit and retained in set-up condition by means of detachable fastening elements 22 such as split shank fasteners which engage through registered openings 23 in the end portions of the side walls and in the peripheral flange Hi.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3, the peripheral flange 25 is preferably in the nature of wooden strips to which the marginal flange 26 of the common wall 21 is anchored. In this instance, however, coupling elements 28, preferably fashioned from sheet metal, are secured by rivets 29 and are formed with slots 30 adjacent the opposite terminals to receive the fastening elements 3|. The coupling elements 28 may be swung on the rivets 29 to an out-of-the-way position for nesting of the units for storage and shipment.

It is evident that the coupling section C and the flanged ends it are so designed that they may be interchangeably fitted over either end of the compartment-forming sections and it is obvious that if more than two compartment-forming sections are to be arranged in the assemblage, the intermediate compartment-forming section or sections will flt between two coupling sections so as tobuild up the multiple sectional container having any number of compartments desired.

What is claimed is:

In a sectional container, a plurality of open ended compartment-forming units each including a main body constructed of sheet material and scored on parallel lines to define side walls, and a swinging closure, a plurality of complementary units each including a panel and a peripheral flange medially surrounding the panel and providing a rim projecting at right angles from each of the faces of the panel, said complementary units being telescopically interfltted over the opposite ends of the side walls of the compartment-forming units to close the opposite ends thereof and to provide a common wall between adjacent compartment-forming units, and means engaging with the complementary units and the side walls of the compartment-forming units to secure the units together and retain the assemblage in set-up condition.

IRVING BLECHMAN. 

